Ilja's Story

What do you do now, and what does your current work involve?

​

I’m a speaker, AuDHD coach and lived experience consultant. I work with people who feel stuck, whether that’s in their work, identity or direction, and help them understand why and, more importantly, how to move forward.

​

My approach is practical. It’s not about motivation or theory, it’s about recognising when something isn’t working, making a decision, and taking action in a way that’s sustainable.

 

Alongside this, I still run my cookery school and packaging business, which keeps me grounded in the reality of building and running things in real time. I also work with organisations, councils and NGOs to deliver talks, training and consultancy that embed trauma-informed and neurodivergent-aware approaches into how they work and support people.

​

What do you regard as your first career or the path you originally started out in?

 

My early career wasn’t a straight line. It was a series of businesses and roles where, from the outside, I looked capable and driven, but underneath I was navigating trauma, masking heavily, and trying to succeed in environments that didn’t understand how my brain worked.

​​

Have there been any other careers, roles or industries you’ve worked in along the way, including any detours, pivots or unexpected chapters in your career journey?

 

I’ve started and run over a dozen businesses across industries including education, catering (including a cookery school and restaurants), and consultancy. What might look like multiple pivots was actually a repeated pattern, recognising when something wasn’t working, making a decision, and moving towards something else, often without having the full picture.

​​

Looking back across your career so far, what prompted some of those changes in direction?

 

Most of my changes came from a quiet but persistent realisation, “This works on paper, but it doesn’t work for me.”

 

I’ve learned that staying in something that isn’t working doesn’t change anything. At some point, I’ve always had to make a decision and move, even when I didn’t know if it would work.

​​

Were there particular moments, opportunities or realisations that encouraged you to try something different?

 

The biggest shift came when I understood that I wasn’t actually broken, I was navigating ADHD, autism and trauma. That reframed everything, but alongside that understanding, I also recognised something else, that nothing in my life had changed because I felt ready or certain. It changed because I made a decision and acted.

​​

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when changing path?

 

Letting go of identities that looked successful from the outside. There’s a real grief in walking away from something you’ve worked hard to build, especially when others don’t understand why. I was also rebuilding without a clear blueprint, while managing burnout and nervous system dysregulation at the same time.

​​

What helped you most in navigating those career transitions?

 

Understanding my nervous system and how my brain works helped. But what made the difference was recognising that I didn’t need to have everything figured out first, I needed to decide and take the next step. Over time, I’ve seen that belief doesn’t come first, it builds once you start moving.

​​

What has surprised you most about where your career has taken you?

 

That the things I once thought made me “too much” or “too complicated” are now the foundation of my work, and that the way I’ve navigated my own life, through decision and action rather than certainty, is something others can actually use.

​

What practical advice would you give to someone who is considering a career change but isn’t sure where to begin?

 

Don’t wait until you feel ready or certain, if something keeps coming back to you and you know it matters, that’s usually enough. Make a decision and take a step, you don’t need to see the whole path, you just need to move.

​

Looking back now, what key lessons or reflections would you share with others thinking about changing careers?

 

You can think about something for years, but nothing changes until you do. I’ve learned that clarity and belief don’t come before action, they come from it. Often, the reason people feel stuck isn’t because they’re incapable, it’s because they’re waiting for something they don’t actually need.

 

Everything I speak about comes from how I’ve lived and continue to work. I don’t need to see it, feel it, or fully believe it first. I decide, I act and I build it.

​

To explore Ilja’s work, visit www.iljaabbattista.co.uk, download her free guide You’re Not Broken, and connect on Instagram at @iljaabbattista or LinkedIn at Ilja Abbattista